Topic on discussion of Taiyin and Yangming in the plain questions (Twenty-ninth article part II) [1]

The Emperor said: “I want to hear about these differences.”

Qi Bo explained: “Yang is like heavenly qi, it dominates the exterior of body. Yin qi is like earth qi, it dominates the interior of body. Yang masculinity has more excess, yin femininity has more deficiency. So when wind and evils come, the yang is attacked first; irregular diet and irregular life rhythm cause the yin to be stricken first. The yang gets exogenous evils into six fu-organs; yin gets endogenous imbalance factors into five zang-organs. The affected six fu-organs show pyretic body, abnormal sleep patterns and gasping; the affected five zang-organs reveal abdominal fullness and blockade, Diarrhea [3] containing undigested foods, even containing pus and blood in stool. So the larynx dominates the heavenly qi, and the pharynx dominates the earthly qi. Hence, the yang part is easy to be attacked by wind evil, and the yin part is easy to be stricken by damp evil. Yin (meridian) qi runs from the feet to the head, then moves down to the fingers along the arm. The yang (meridian) qi runs from the fingers to the head, then moves down to the feet. So we say: yang meridian diseases are at the upper part, and they will move down afterward; yin meridian diseases are at the lower part, and they will move up afterward. Therefore, wind evil assails the top first, and damp evil assails the bottom first.”

Key Words:  topic on discussion of Taiyin and Yangming, the plain questions